Sometimes you and I plod through weeks and months when we feel pulled through the proverbial knothole.  And because that knothole usually is too small or too irregular in shape, it hurts!  We can have hope in our God, however, because we know He is faithful in His promises to us.  It is easier to hold onto genuine hope when I realize that God has never failed, and therefore will not fail me now.

It seems to me that quite a difference exists between being hopeful - hoping for a sunny day this weekend or hoping that your tax man will return your telephone call soon - and a life that is filled with hope.  Scripture gives us further insights in Hebrews 6:19:  "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."

Thumbing through a magazine at my dentist's office, I found a thought-provoking analogy.  Elisabeth Kubler-Ross suggested that people are like stained glass windows; they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.

I want very much to put myself where God can shine through, so I can be a lighted window for those around me, and a tangible source of hope.